20110903
Reuters
SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgarian police stormed the Libyan embassy in Sofia on Friday and forced out diplomats of Muammar Gaddafi's regime after a new ambassador appointed by Libya's interim authority arrived in the Balkan country, the foreign ministry said.

Bulgaria, which has recognised the National Transitional Council (NTC) as the legitimate authority in the north African country, declared four Libyan diplomats persona non grata and sought their expulsion on Thursday.

"The diplomats and their families refused to leave and the police had to take them from the premises," a foreign ministry spokeswoman said. "They were taken to a police station and after that probably to the refugee agency awaiting their expulsion."

She declined to say how many diplomats were taken forcibly out of the building. The private BTV channel said special police forces took out the wife and children of the former Libyan consul and another staff member.

Police declined to comment on the operation.

In July, Bulgaria sought the expulsion of the consul, Ibrahim al-Furis, who stormed the Libyan embassy, saying he had joined the rebel forces -- a claim which had been denied by NTC.

A new Libyan ambassador, appointed by the NTC, arrived in Sofia earlier on Friday, the spokeswoman said, and was waiting to be granted access to the embassy.

The new envoy has yet to present his credentials and receive official diplomatic accreditation.